Assembled article transfer device



Oct. 7, 1958 2,855,088

C. L. MOSES ASSEMBLED ARTICLE TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Aug. 25, 1956 A MiINVENTOR CHAUNCEY L, MOSES ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,855,088ASSEMBLED ARTICLE TRANSFER DEVICE Chauncey L. Moses, Duncansville, Pa.,assignor to Sylvania Electric Products Inc., a corporation ofMassachusetts Application August 23, 1956, Serial No. 605,811

8 Claims. (Cl. 198-'20) This invention relates to assembled article,transfer devices.

In the manufacture of electron tubes, one of the steps consists ofintegrating a stem comprising a wafer with electrodes mounted thereon,hereinafter collectively termed a mount, and an enclosing envelope orbulb. The integration is effected, in the case of glass bulbs and glasswafers by fusing the edges of the two together. In the case of glassstem and metal envelope the joining of the two is effected by brazing orother processes. In the processing of the assembly it is often necessaryto invert an assembled mount and bulb in such fashion that there is apossibility of the mount slipping downwardly out of the bulb. Forexample, this could occur where assembled but not integrated mounts andtubulated bulbs, i. e., bulbs with tubulation attached at the dome ofthe bulb for subsequent evacuation of the bulb, are conveyed on an endless conveyor, with the tubulation end down, and are then inverted fortransfer to pegs of a sealing machine, tubulated end up. In that event,loose mounts would slide out of the bulb causing faulty operation of thesealing machine and loss of tube material. It should be understood thatnormally the mount by reason of its slightly resilient insulatingspacers, usually made of mica, fits frictionally within its bulb; butoccasionally the fit is loose and losses could therefore occur.

It is an object of this invention to insure that all mounts remainassociated with the bulb during the time that the mount may possiblyslip out of the bulb and until the mount and bulb are delivered to thepeg or other receiver.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide means forretaining a mount within a bulb during the time that an assembly of thetwo is being inverted by conveyor and during the time that the assemblyis transferred from the conveyor to the machine that receives the mountand bulb assembly.

It is also a specific object of this invention to associate with theretaining means, a movable delivery platform forming part of a transfermechanism to transfer an assembly, with loose mount, from the conveyorto whatever receiving means is employed.

These and other objects will be more fully understood afterconsideration of the following description when taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a conveyor equipped withthe transfer and assembly retaining guard platform of the invention,part of a sealing machine being also shown.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the platform in its positionunderlying a tube wherein there is a tight fit of mount in its bulb,while the tube is being transferred from the conveyor to a sealing peg,the transfer device being at the limit of its up stroke.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showingv the platform in its positionunderlying a tube with a loose mount therein while the tube is beingtransferred from the conveyor to a 2,855,088 Patented Oct. 7, 1958sealing peg, the transfer device being at the limit of its down stroke.

The mechanism of this invention is an improvement on the mechanismdisclosed in the application of John Bullers and Chauncey L. Moses forPreheater to Sealing Machine Transfer Device filed December 16, 1955,hearing Serial No. 553,647 and patented February 4, 1958, Patent No.2,821,810.

In general, the mechanism comprises an endless conveyor having upper andlower horizontal runs travelling in a vertical plane and adapted tocarry tubulated bulbs with mounts in the bulbs. These pass through aheater, as explained in the referred to disclosure, tubulated end down,and are then inverted and transferred to the jaws of a verticallyreciprocatable transfer device which transfers the bulb and mountassembly from the conveyor and onto a peg of a sealing machine,tubulated end up. Associated with the conveyor and positioned parallelwith and spaced from the bight of the conveyor is an arcuate guard alongwhich the stem leads of a mount will ride in the event the mountpartially slips out of the bulb. Associated with the transfer device isa pivotable platform which in the up position of the transfer deviceforms a continuation of the guard and in the down position pivots out ofthe way of the bottom of the stem leads at a time when the transferdevice is so close to the peg of the sealing machine that in the case ofloose mounts, the mount cannot fall much farther out of the bulb. Itshould be understood that with tight fitting mounts, the stem leads donot ride on the guard nor rest on the platform.

Referring to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a conveyor 10lying in a vertical plane, with horizontal runs and arcuate connectingbight portions and with arms 12 which, in any suitable manner,frictionally engage tubulations 14 of bulbs 16. Each of these bulbs hasa mount 18 therein with holding means, such as the mica spacers 20forming a common construction of electron tubes, and with a wafer 22 forsealing to the bulb 16. The mount also has stem leads 24 passing throughthe wafer and connected to electrodes forming part of the mount.Associated with the conveyor is a vertically reciprocable carrier 30which in the up position of the carrier, that is to say in the positionshown in Fig. 2, is adapted to receive a bulb tubulation between a pairof jaws 32 on the carrier and transport the same down onto one of aseries of pegs 34 mounted on the periphery of a turret 36 of a sealingmachine. In the down position of the carrier, see Fig. 3, the jaws 32are operated to release the tubulation, whereupon the carrier againmoves upward to tubulation receiving position. All of this is describedmore in detail in the aforesaid patent.

Movable with the carrier is a pivoted platform 40 pivoted by means ofpivot pin 42 passing through a vertical arm 44 integral with theplatform and through ears of an angled support 46 vertically adjustablysecured to the carrier 30 by conventional bolt and slot connection, thebolt being shown at 48. The platform also has an integral downwardlydirected cam 50 which on it down stroke is engaged by a roller 52mounted in ears on a bracket 54 laterally adjustable on an angle bracket56 which in turn is vertically slidably mounted on a part fixed to theframe 58 of the machine. The vertical arm 44 has a finger 60 projectingupwardly and beyond the upper horizontal face of the angled support 46.Pivoted on said face is a detent in the form of a bell crank lever 62one arm of which is spring urged to position itself behind the finger60. When the cam 50, in the downward movement of the carrier 30, engagesthe roller 52, the platform is pivoted out of the path of movement ofthe bulb and is prevented from moving back to horizontal position byreason of finger 60 engaging the front end face of hell crank lever 62which by reason of its spring has snapped into blocking position behindthe finger, the limit of rotational movement of the spring being theengagement of the lever with the pin 64 on the face of the angled leverwhich supports the fixed end of the spring, or some equivalent stop. Onthe upstroke of the carrier, the bell crank lever is engaged by a cambar 66 laterally adjustably mounted on the frame 58 and is moved againstits spring to platform release position, whereupon by gravitationalaction of the platform it again assumes a horizontal position, thefinger 60 engaging a part on the angle bracket to limit the returnmovement of the platform. On downward movement of the carrier, the bellcrank lever is cocked ready to again perform its locking function behindthe finger 60.

In the full up position of the carrier 30 the upper face of the platform40 is on a level with the lower end of arcuate guard '70. This guardconforms to the curvature of the conveyor at the bight portion and issuitably fixed to the frame of the machine, as by straps 72 afiixed togusset plates 74 in turn are adjustably mounted on a fixed frame part ofthe conveyor.

The guard is positioned so that normally with tight fit of the mount inthe bulb, the leads 24 do not contact the guard. However, should a loosemount exist in any of the bulbs, it will slip partially out of its bulband come to sliding engagement with the arcuate guard. Then the mountwill slide onto and be supported by the platform while the bulb is held,through its tubulation, by the jaws 32. On downward movement of thecarrier 30 with the jaws 32 and the platform, the cam 50 will engage theroller 52, and the platform will withdraw to allow the mount and nowalso released bulb to drop onto the underlying peg 34. The platform isnow held locked out of the way of bulb 16 by bell crank lever 62 as thecarrier and platform move upward, until the upper cam bar 66 is reached,whereupon the bell crank lever is cocked and the platform gravitates tohorizontal position. Tightly held mounts in bulb 16 will engage neitherthe guard 70 nor the platform 40.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a transfer device, a vertically reciprocatable carrier, holdingmeans on said carrier adapted to hold an assembly comprised of a twopart telescoped article wherein the parts are frictionally held againstshifting relative to one another, a platform pivoted to the carrier andnormally urged to horizontal position below the holding means and inposition to assist in holding a portion of the assembly during downwardreciprocation of the carrier, a cam in the path of downward movement ofthe platform to engage a portion fixed with respect to the platform tomove the platform to one side of the holding means.

2. In a transfer device, a vertically reciprocatable carrier, a means onsaid carrier adapted to hold an assembly comprised of a two parttelescoped article wherein the parts are frictionally held againstshifting relative to one another, a receiver below the holding meansadapted to receive the assembly after downward movement of the carrierand subsequent release of the holding means, a platform pivoted to thecarrier normally urged to horizontal position below the holding meansand in position to assist in holding a portion of the assembly duringdownward reciprocation of the carrier, a cam in the path of downwardmovement of the platform to engage a portion fixed with respect to theplatform to move the platform to one side of the holding means, and to aposition out of the path of movement of the assembly from the holdingmeans to the receiver.

3. In a transfer device, a vertically reciprocatable carrier, a means onsaid carrier adapted to hold an assembly comprised of a two parttelescoped article wherein the parts are frictionally held againstshifting relative to one another, a receiver below the holding meansadapted to receive the assembly after downward movement of the carrierand subsequent release of the holding means, a platform pivoted to thecarrier normally urged to horizontal position below the holding meansand in position to assist in holding a portion of the assembly duringdownward reciprocation of the carrier, a cam in the path of downwardmovement of the platform to engage a portion fixed with respect to theplatform to move the platform to one side of the holding means and to aposition out of the path of movement of the assembly from the holdingmeans to the receiver, a detent movable with the platform in itsdownward movement and means urging said detent to position to engage thetilted platform to maintain the same in its tilted position out of theway of the assembly during upward movement of the carrier and platform.

4. In a transfer device, a vertically reciprocatable carrier, a means onsaid carrier adapted to hold an assembly comprised of a two parttelescoped article wherein the parts are frictionally held againstshifting relative to one another, a receiver below the holding meansadapted to receive the assembly after downward movement of the carrierand subsequent release of the holding means, a platform pivoted to thecarrier normally urged to horizontal position below the holding meansand in position to assist in holding a portion of the assembly duringdownward reciprocation of the carrier, a cam in the path of downwardmovement of the platform to engage a portion fixed with respect to theplatform to move the platform to one side of the holding means and to aposition out of the path of movement of the assembly from the holdingmeans to the receiver, a detent movable with the platform in itsdownward movement, means urging said detent to position to engage thetilted platform to maintain the same in its tilted position out of theway of the assembly during upward movement of the carrier and platform,and a cam bar at the upper limit of travel of the platform to engage andshift the detent to platform release position to allow the platform togravitate to horizontal position.

5. In a transfer device, a vertically reciprocatable carrier, means onsaid carrier adapted to hold an assembly comprised of a two parttelescoped article wherein the parts are frictionally held againstshifting relative to one another, a receiver below the holding meansadapted to receive the assembly after downward movement of the carrierand subsequent release of the holding means, a platform pivoted on thecarrier normally urged to horizontal position below the holding means toassist in holding a portion of the assembly during downwardreciprocation of the carrier, a cam in the path of downward movement ofthe platform to engage a fixed portion of the platform to move theplatform to one side of the holding means and to a position out of thepath of movement of the assembly from the holding means to the receiver,a finger extending from the platform, a bell crank lever mounted on thecarrier having one arm spring urged to locking position behind thefinger, and holding the platform in tilted position when it is tilted bythe cam, and a cam bar in the path of movement of the second arm of thebell crank lever operative to release the finger from engagement withthe first arm of the bell crank lever on upward movement of the carrierand engagement of said second arm with the cam bar.

6. In a conveyor and transfer device, an endless conveyor in a verticalplane and having horizontal runs with an arcuate bight portionconnecting the horizontal runs. an arcuate guard conforming in curvatureto the curvature of the bight portion and spaced from the conveyor, avertically reciprocatable carrier having means to engage articlescomprised of telescoped frictionally retained portions carried by theconveyor and move them downward away from the carrier, and a platformmovable with the carrier which in the up position of the carrier forms acontinuation of the guard, the guard functioning to maintain within therest of the article any portion of the assembled article which may havepartially slipped out, and the platform functioning during downwardmovement of the carrier to retain the shifted portion against furtherslipping out of the remainder of the article.

7. A conveyor having horizontal runs and a vertical bight portionconnecting the runs, a fixed arcuate guard conforming in curvature toand spaced from the bight portion, a vertically reciprocatable carrierhaving means to engage articles having telescoped portions frictionallyheld together carried by the conveyor and transport them downwardly anda platform movable with the carrier having a horizontal portion levelwith and close to the lower end of the guard, when the carrier is at itsposition whereat the engaging means grasps an article on the conveyor.

8. A conveyor having horizontal runs and a vertical bight portionconnecting the runs, a fixed arcuate guard conforming in curvature toand spaced from the bight portion, a vertically reciprocatable carrierhaving means References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 433,800 Mayo Aug. 5, 1890 1,302,171 Johnson Apr. 29, 19192,646,769 Lindsay July 28, 1953 2,691,246 Roeber Oct. 12, 1954

